Summer Outdoor Cooking Series: Featuring Sam Chang

Chef Sam Chang, an alum of some of Houston’s most celebrated kitchens, will be Eight Row Flint’s next featured chef in its Summer Outdoor Cooking Series. Chef Ryan Pera and his team created this Tuesday night series to bring exposure to rising culinary talent, both from Agricole’s own kitchens and elsewhere in Houston.

Sam will prepare Slack Season Noodles, his take on a popular dish from Tainan, Taiwan where his family is from. Tainan, widely recognized as the culinary capital of Taiwan, is also one of its largest fishing hubs. To make ends meet during the slow or “slack” season, many fishermen in Tainan switch to selling a particular noodle dish. Traditionally, the dish consists of thin wheat noodles topped with a braised pork sauce, bean sprouts, cilantro and a single small poached shrimp, since very little else would be available. Sam’s version will be more dressed up, adding elements such as fried shallots, julienne scallions and a soft-boiled soy egg. To make use of the outdoor grill, the shrimp will be skewered for the open flame instead of being poached.The dish will be $15.

Sam says he chose this dish “because I just think it’s delicious and something I loved eating growing up and still today. More importantly though, I don’t think the general public really knows what Taiwanese food is, and it’s something I’m really passionate about showing people.”

Sam has cooked with some of Houston’s top talent, including Chefs Ryan Pera and Justin Yu. Following his most recent post at Oxheart, he’s traveled and worked in different kitchens around the country in recent months to learn as much as possible about Taiwanese food.